What’s Your Journey? My Passion for Marketing and Dynamic Spark

What’s Your Journey? My Passion for Marketing and Dynamic Spark

by | Jan 8, 2025 | Marketing, Personal

How did I end up starting a marketing consulting business? Great question! But before I dive into my career journey, let me ask you this: Do you love what you do? Why do you do what you do? These are the very questions I ask my clients when learning about their businesses. Each story is unique, and every path has its own twists and turns—just like mine.

Cue Lady Gaga: “Cause God makes no mistakes, I’m on the right track, baby, I was born this way.”

How does that resonate with me? Marketing has been a part of me since I was a kid. Let’s rewind to the late ‘80s, when selling wrapping paper was a thing. Oh, I dominated in personal sales. A family friend still has wrapping paper I sold nearly 35 years ago! You’d think this entrepreneurial streak would’ve launched an illustrious sales career, right? Wrong. I quickly realized I didn’t enjoy the high rejection rates of one-to-one sales, but that spark for business and personal connection never left me.

Art, Business, and High School Revelations

Growing up, I was always creating. Drawing, designing—you name it. By the time I got to high school at Madison East, my artistic side blossomed in various art classes. I loved exploring creativity and seeing how my designs came to life. But as graduation approached, a false sense of reality hit: artists are “supposed to be” broke. That narrative took hold and prompted me to explore a more “practical” career in business. Enter Mrs. Andersen’s “Starting a Small Business” class, which sparked my interest in the business world and entrepreneurship. For the first time, I saw how creativity could intersect with strategy to build something meaningful.

I went off to UW-Whitewater, a college known for its business programs. Initially, I spent more time “networking” at parties than studying. My GPA reflected this, but joining the American Marketing Association (AMA) introduced me to a world of marketing. I was hooked. “Where’s the beef?” Suddenly, I was brimming with movie quotes and catch phrases that fueled my creative fire and brought marketing to life.

Unfortunately, my frequent “networking” led to a GPA that delayed my entry into the School of Business, so I explored Advertising classes to boost my grades. Not only did it work, but I found more fuel for my passion! Shoutout to Professor Zhou for drilling into my head that “Marketing is my… (dramatic pause)… passion!” I ended up double majoring in Journalism and Marketing, capitalizing on my love for communication, strategy, and creative storytelling.

Pivots, Car Rentals, and Coaching Volleyball

Post-college, I never landed my dream marketing or advertising agency job. Instead, I found myself cleaning rental cars at the airport and coaching varsity volleyball at Abundant Life Christian School. Sometimes, life calls for a (Friend’s fans chime in here) PIVOT! While cleaning rental cars wasn’t glamorous, it taught me valuable lessons about patience and adaptability. Coaching, on the other hand, fulfilled a different passion: mentoring and inspiring young people. I discovered that guiding others to succeed, whether in sports or business, was deeply rewarding.

Luckily, this was a short detour. A college connection (shoutout to Kim!) referred me to a market research position in Chicago. Lesson learned: who you know can be just as important as what you know. Kim’s hard work and academic achievements rewarded my “networking.” The role opened doors and gave me experience in analyzing data and understanding consumer behavior. Two years later, though, I felt creatively unfulfilled. A housing crisis and subsequent layoff gave me a chance to reassess my direction.

Back to School 

Deciding to reignite my creative side, I pursued a Graphic Design associate degree at Madison College. This wasn’t just about learning—it was about rediscovering the joy of creating something from nothing. Later, I added a Web Design certificate, which combined my love of visuals with problem-solving and strategy. This technical path sparked my love for blending art and technology, though never with Comic Sans or Papyrus fonts. (Thanks, Mike Martin, for keeping design standards high!)

These new skills opened up a world of possibilities. I started designing logos, building websites, and experimenting with different marketing techniques. Each project felt like another piece of the puzzle falling into place.

Designing, Marketing, and Winning ADDYs

Fast forward to landing a web designer role at WPS Health Solutions. In the 10+ years I was there, I wore many hats: web designer, graphic designer, email marketing strategist, and even ADDY Award winner (Silver, thank you very much). Email marketing became a niche where I thrived, thanks to email marketing guru Jay Schwedelson’s strategies. Crafting campaigns that connected with audiences and drove results was exhilarating.

When a company-wide restructuring led to yet another career reassessment, I realized something important: Marketing is still my passion. Every step in my journey—every pivot and challenge—had led me to this point. Why not make it official? Enter: Dynamic Spark.

Present Day: Sparking Growth in Cottage Grove, WI

Since launching Dynamic Spark, I’ve been working with clients to help spark growth in their small-to medium-sized businesses by building custom websites that capture their brand’s unique vision so they can attract their ideal customers and turn them into loyal advocates.

Specific service offerings include:

Why? Because I believe every business has a spark waiting to ignite. I’m passionate about helping business owners uncover their unique stories and use them to connect with their audience. Whether you’re a Cottage Grove small business owner or a local service provider, your story matters. You matter. And why you do it is the key.

So, what’s your journey? Let’s spark something great together. Schedule a consultation today. Even if we’re not a fit, I’ll gladly refer you to someone in my network. Dynamic Spark is here to light up your business. Together, we can create something truly remarkable.